1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to a method and a device for obtaining precision data acquisition using a magnetomechanical transducer. As a direct application, data can thus be acquired using hand writing and drawing applied in a normal manner.
2. Description of Prior Art
Comparing to computer input from a keyboard, it is relatively difficult to input, text data directly from hand writing. Traditional approaches incorporate electrostatic or piezoelectric instruments to be used as the input devices. However, they require special transducer media, in the form of a pad or the screen of a monitor, to be used during the input processes, thereby imposing severe limitations for applications. For example, only a small window compatible to the pad size is available for writing, and the writing is not permanently recorded on paper as a regular pen does with ink. It is not possible to input data at the same time when a notebook/checkbook is written, a special form is filed, an annotation is made at the margin of a book, a piece of lecture notes is taken in the classroom, and a project is planned when lying down on the beach. Apparently, there is a need that text data can be acquired at the same time when hand writing is applied in a normal manner.
At present, although graphic data can be obtained using a scanner, the data itself appear as an optical image whose individual parts or components may not be processed separately. For example, the coordinates of a curve may not readily be visualized from a scanned image. As such, there is a need for direct data input that graphic components or objects are entered from hand drawing. For example, by locating a pen pointer at a special spot on a data curve printed on a magazine page reporting the year-round stock-market values, information associated with that data point is released, revealed on the computer screen in real time. Furthermore, by using a xe2x80x9cpenxe2x80x9d to input graphic data, not only it gives you the opportunity to physically portray the picture, say, on paper, but also it automatically quantifies the drawn objects allowing you to edit them in the future: modification, duplication, rotation, magnification, coloring, fitting, and smoothing.
Accordingly, it is an objection of the invention to address one or more of the foregoing disadvantages or drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide such improved methods and devices to obtain precision data acquisition for both the text and the graphic data, permitting hand writing/drawing on paper in real time, without requiring the use of a transducer pad, a monitor screen, or a scanner.
Other objects will be apparent to one of ordinary skill, in light of the following disclosure, including the claims.
In one aspect, the invention provides a method and a device for precision acquisition of text data using hand writing without requiring the use of a transducer pad or the screen of a monitor. As such, text data are acquired at the same time when hand writing is taking place on paper with ink. By using a wordprocessor software, the acquired text data can then be further processed, performing sophisticated tasks such as spelling check, grammar check, e-mail sending, and so forth.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method and a device for precision acquisition of graphic data using hand drawing without requiring the use of a scanner. As such, real-time drawing on paper using a pen with ink is possible, and the drawn objects can then be further processed performing sophisticated tasks such as curve fitting, error estimating, area calculations, and so forth.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method and a device for acquiring hybrid text and graphic data using hand writing and drawing without requiring the use of a pad, a monitor screen, or a scanner. This allows the normal hand-writing/drawing action to be integrated with the process of precision data acquisition. When powered by a battery with self data storage capabilities, this invention dictates a new class of instrumentations that a pen-transducer device occupying a minimum volume can be employed in space-limited occasions where a laptop computer finds itself ineffective and awkward in use.